Bloggers Festival Guru

Look for topics that are a bit more fringe, determine the good and bad features of related websites, identify potential revenue sources, and select the primary keyword phrases for your blog that you could compete on Google with a new blog.

Once you have those bases covered before you create a blog, you need to answer the following questions:

1. How do you define your blog?  In two sentences or less, define your blog; the subject, identify the niche topic, and tell readers what to expect at your site.  This will naturally carry important keywords, but also should be witty usable material for the "About" section on your blog.

2. What is the purpose of your blog? Is the purpose only to inform or entertain? Is it to host a store, a forum, sell a service, attract leads, etc.?  Make a list of your goals and what you hope to accomplish with your blog.

3. What tools do you need for your blog?  This includes everything from a domain name, blog hosting, widgets, contact forms, social media support accounts, advertising and affiliate accounts, analytics, SEO tools, newsletter services, traffic generators, etc..

4. What are the important actions you want visitors to take? Do you want them to share your content, follow you on social media, sign up for your newsletter, buy a product promoted on your website, hire your consulting services, etc.

5. What will be your main revenue streams? You need to spell out what your financial expectations are in order to map out the best way to get there.  Identify the top three revenue generators on similar sites to yours and make a plan to optimize them on your blog.

6. Where do you see your blog in 5 years?  What is your long-term plan for blog? Will it be your full-time job? How will it grow?  Always know what direction your headed and why.

7.  What makes your blog unique in your niche? What does your blog add to landscape of your subject matter?  How is it different, better?  Once you know what sets you apart, exploit it.

8. What key information should be on every page? For instance, you may want your social media buttons, newsletter sign-up, recent or popular posts, and some ad space to appear on every page including all articles.

9. What are your three primary keyword phrases that define your website?  After you determine the best keywords for your blog's niche, you'll have to maximize keyword use throughout your blog.  You absolutely must learn to use keywords properly if you ever hope to rank well in Google.

10. Where will you market your blog?  What websites will you target for syndication of your material or guest post opportunities? What article revenue sharing sites offer dofollow links for content marketing? Will you use social media bookmarking services or article marketing to help with SEO? Have an organized regiment of how and where you share each post.

If you're serious about making money online with your blog, you must treat your blog more like a business. Ultimately, these questions represent a mini business plan.

However, your blog strategy doesn't need to be as detailed as a normal business plan, but the answers to these questions should be written down somewhere for constant reference an updating.